Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for your health. It helps keep your bones and teeth strong, supports the immune system, and keeps your muscles strong. Vitamin D deficiency is common in children and adults, especially during the winter months when there's less sunlight available. However, you can incorporate more vitamin D into your diet in many ways to ensure you're getting enough!
Eat more food that's fortified with vitamin D
Fortified foods include milk, yogurt, orange juice, and cereals. The amount of vitamin D in these products depends on the brand you buy, but it can range from 100 IU to 400 IU per serving (1 cup). The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults ages 19 to 70 years old is 600 IU daily; however, many experts recommend 800-1,000 IU per day if you're under age 50 or have darker skin tones that make it harder for your body to produce its vitamin D naturally. For children ages 1-18 months old who drink less than 16 ounces of formula or breast milk per day (not including infant formula), use an infant formula with at least 400 international units (IU) of added vitamin A per quart/liter and add extra calcium as needed based on age until your child reaches 24 months old--at which point he should switch over to cow's milk.
Eat more fish
- Fish are a great source of vitamin D, so try to eat fish at least once a week. The best types of fish to eat for vitamin D are salmon, tuna, and mackerel because they contain many. You should also include other oily fish, such as sardines or herring, if you prefer something other than eating oily fish like salmon or tuna.
- The amount of vitamin D in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked salmon is 1 microgram (0% DV). This means if you ate this much salmon daily for one week, you would get enough vitamin D from it alone! However, most people eat less protein, so make sure that if you're going to include other sources as well as seafood, then keep an eye on how much fat/oils/fats are being consumed too!
Fortify your diet with other nutrients that support vitamin D absorption and metabolism, such as magnesium and calcium.
If you need enough vitamin D, your body will have trouble absorbing and metabolizing the nutrient. To ensure you're absorbing enough of this essential vitamin, fortify your diet with other nutrients supporting vitamin D absorption and metabolism.
Magnesium is one such nutrient; it helps convert vitamin D into its active form. A good source of magnesium is leafy greens like spinach and kale--they also contain calcium, another important component of bone health (which we'll discuss later). Dairy foods such as milk are another good source of both minerals--and if you still need to drink cow's milk, consider switching over!
Get enough sun exposure to meet your needs, but not so much that you develop rickets or other skin conditions (see below)
If you're not getting enough sun exposure, you can supplement with vitamin D. The recommended daily vitamin D intake is 600 IU (15 mcg) for adults and children aged 1-70. However, this may need to be higher for some people to maintain optimal health, as it does not account for different skin tones or geographical locations.
If you live in an area where there are few hours of sunlight each day and have darker skin tones--such as those who are African American or Hispanic--you will likely need more than 1,000 IU per day through food sources or supplements to meet your needs without risking developing rickets or other skin conditions such as photodermatitis (a condition that causes redness and itching after being exposed to UV rays). To determine how much sun exposure your body needs each day based on your location and skin tone:
Talk to your doctor about taking a supplement if needed, or at least consult with them about testing levels to see if you're deficient before taking any supplements.
If you are deficient in vitamin D, talk to your doctor about taking a supplement. It's important that you do this before taking any supplements because some people may be able to get all the vitamin D they need from their diet or sunlight exposure. If this is not possible, then taking supplements may be necessary. Your doctor can help determine whether or not this is the case and recommend appropriate dosages based on their findings.
If you do take vitamin D supplements, it's important that you don't take more than the recommended dosage. Overdosing on vitamin D can cause serious health problems and even death.
Conclusion
We all know eating right and getting enough vitamins is important. Unfortunately, most of us don't get enough of the good stuff. If you're looking for a way to boost your vitamin D levels and feel better about yourself, try some tips!
